| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | U.S.A. > California > Sonoma |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
16 barrels produced from vines planted in 1999 at 505 ft, 8.2 miles from the ocean on Goldridge soils. Not picked until 17 October. Spontaneous fermentation with 50% whole cluster, and aged in used French oak barrels. Unfined, unfiltered.
Intense fruit with some violet notes and still quite obvious acidity. Needs a little time to mellow and take on a bit of body in bottle. (JR)
The always very cool Falstaff Vineyard ripened up its pinot noir very nicely in 2023, as this wine comes in at a full thirteen percent octane in this vintage. I have been a huge fan of this bottling from Jamie since I first tasted his 2009 version in the early days and the 2023 is another absolutely stellar young pinot. The bouquet here is pure and complex, offering up scents of red and black cherries, pomegranate, a touch of raw cocoa, pigeon, sweet stem tones, a gorgeous foundation of soil, marjoram, peonies, just a whisper of oak influence and a topnote of distant bonfire. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely structured this year, with a fine core of fruit, superb soil inflection and grip, ripe, buried tannins, good acids and lovely balance on the long, nascently complex and very promising finish. This is going to be a stunning wine once it blossoms! 2035-2080+.
The standout Pinot for those seeking vibrancy and ethereal pleasure, Kutch's Falstaff is translucent ruby in the glass and intense with floral, cool red berry fruit on the nose. Notes of wild strawberry, cherry blossom and freshly pressed cranberry all come through with just a hint of spice and flinty depth. The palate is so light on its feet, with just a light grip of tannins and a fruit core full of floral top notes. Airy yet intense, the fruit builds into notes of red cherry as the structure gives the mid-palate a chiselled depth. Juicy and appetising yet serious at the same time, the long, blossom-accented finish goes on for minutes. The result is a wine that you can drink now but will doubtless age well for over a decade, if you can wait that long.
